DENVER - Missouri-Kansas City's Courtney Frerichs was named to the Women's Bowerman Trophy Watch List on Thursday, making her one of the 10 women under the strongest consideration for collegiate track & field's highest honor.
Frerichs, a senior from Nixa, Mo. (Nixa HS), broke her own school record in 3000-meter steeplechase at the Payton Jordan Invitational last weekend with a WAC-record time of 9:32.12 to move into the top spot in the NCAA. Her mark makes her the No. 3 steepler in collegiate history and also ranks No. 2 in the world, less than a second behind Australia's Madeline Heiner's time of 9:31.03.
Frerichs's appearance on the list was the first ever for a male or female athlete from the WAC.
The Bowerman, which debuted in 2009, is presented annually by the USTFCCCA to the most outstanding male and female collegiate track & field athletes in the nation.
Oregon's Laura Roesler and Texas A&M's Deon Lendore are the reigning winners of The Bowerman, which is named for legendary Oregon track & field and cross country coach Bill Bowerman.
Past winners include Olympic gold medalist, World Champion and decathlon world-record holder Ashton Eaton (2010), 10,000-meter Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp (2009), 2011 IAAF World Champion at 1500 meters Jenny Simpson (2009), 2013 100-meter hurdles World Champion Brianna Rollins (2013) and 2012 Olympic high jump bronze medalist Derek Drouin (2013).